The City of Granada and Alhambra

The Alhambra continues to be one of the biggest draws in Spain

Granada is only the 19th largest municipality in Spain in terms of population, but is without a doubt one of the best known internationally and attracts a large volume of visitors from all over the world. Throughout the Mediterranean we are accustomed to the influx of summer tourists from the rest of Europe, but in Granada it is equally common to come across people from Japan, Asia and North America, lured here by the world-renowned palace of the Alhambra and the spectacular backdrop of the Sierra Nevada throughout the year. What’s more, the tourism here is far less seasonal than on the coast, and hotels are busy all year round.

Culturally, historically and architecturally, the heritage of the city is unique, having been the capital of a Moorish kingdom under the Zirí and Nazarí dynasties for most of the first half of the second millennium. The Moors first conquered southern Spain in 711, when the current site of Granada was occupied by a Jewish settlement called “Garnata”.

The city grew drastically in importance during the 11th century, when the local Zirí ruler decided that his area capital of Elvira was inadequate due to its lowland location, and transferred his administration to Garnata. Soon the hamlet grew into a city, and in the 13th century under the Nasrí dynasty its prestige was further augmented by the beginning of work on the Alhambra palace.

The 13th century Christian Reconquista was successfully resisted and Granada remained a Moorish stronghold long after Seville capitulated in 1248.

It was not until 2nd January 1492 that Emir Muhammad XII, also known as Boabdil, was forced to surrender to the Catholic Monarchs, ending almost 800 years of Arabic rule, and the city’s mosques were converted into Christian churches.

This period of splendour is still recalled not only by the Alhambra and the Generalife but also by the Moorish Albaicín area of the city: both of these complexes have been declared UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Renaissance cathedral dates from the century after the city was re-conquered, and there are many other historical architectural monuments.

The prestige of Granada is enhanced by that of its university, which has around 80,000 students and ensures that the social life of the city is exciting even during the cold winters (Granada is over 700 metres above sea level, and snowfall is not restricted to the ski resort of Sierra Nevada, under an hour’s drive away). Apart from the thriving “tapas culture” here, there are also international music and dance festivals completing an impressive cultural programme in the city, and the spring fiestas of Easter and Corpus Christi are occasions when the city really lets its hair down.

The tapas here are normally served in small doses, often accompanying a drink automatically, and the plethora of bars and restaurants vie to outdo one another with their typical local dishes, which include broad beans and ham, “remojón” (a cod and orange salad of Arabic origin), gazpacho, migas and the Serrano ham cured in the nearby mountains.

Throughout the city there are expansive park areas and fascinating side streets and corner bars, which make a stroll through Granada a memorable and atmospheric experience.

With all these attractions it is not hard to understand that the main contributors to the city’s economy are tourism and the services sector. There is approximately one bar or restaurant for every 90 inhabitants, but at times this seems barely sufficient to cater for the number of people visiting, living or studying in Granada.
In short, Granada is a must-see city, and if you haven’t been there yet, go!